Automatic door-catch.



R. E.. HASKINS. AUTOMATIC DOOR CATCH. A'PPIHIIOATION FILED AUG. 2, 1909.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. E. HASKINS. AUTOMATIC DOOR CATCH. APPLIOATIOH FILED AUG. 2, 1909.

952,735. Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Z SHEETS- SHEET 2.

UNE STA s PAN AUTOMATIC DOOR-CATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1,910.

Application filed August 2, 1909. Serial No. 510,717.

To (llt .Whomy 'iL mtl/y concern.

Be it known that I, Ronn'i E. llasiUN-s, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Door-Catches; and l do declare the following to be-a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such-.as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic door catches for hinged or swinging doors.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of door catches designed particularlyfor use in connection with the doors ot. locomotive round houses or railroad shops or in connection with other forms oit' heavy swinging doors whereby they may be lheld in a closed or an open position.

Another object is to provide an arrangement of door catches of this character which Will be automatically operated by the doors t to engage and secure the, Same-'in open or i closed position and Mto provide means ari ranged on the doors to release the catches from engagement therewith thus permitting the doors to be moved to an open or closed position.

lViththe foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying' drawings Figure i is an outside view of four doors and their supporting Jframes, showing the arrangement. of the catches, two oit the doors being shownin open position and two in closed positioinparts of the catch supporting mechf anism beingbroken away to show the construction of the catches; Fig. Q is a top plan view ot' the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 Fig. l, showingthe arrangeinlent and operation of the catch for holding: the doors in closed position; Fig. 4 is a ihont view ot two doors' in closed position, showing a slightly moditied form ofthe catch for holding the doors open beyond an angle o1' 90 Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4 withone of the doors held open by the catch; Fig. (3 is n detail view of one of the catches for vi t t l t l i i t t i t l holding oneof the doors in closed position; Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the catches for holding the doors in open position; Fig. S is a similar view ot the modified form of catch shown in Figs. 4: and 5.

Referring more particularly1 to the drawings', l denotes a series of doors which are here shown somewhat as they are arranged in a locomotive round house and 2 denotes thc supporting frames or j ambs of the doors. The doors l arefhingedly connected at their inner edges to the jan'ibs, the outer doors of the series being hinged t'oswing outwardly, while the inner doors are hinged to swing toward each other when opened. Secured to the frame' above the outer doors of the series are outwardly projecting horizontally disposed catch supporting frames 3, said frames being segmentallor arc-shaped and extending to the distance of aquarter of a circle. The frames 3 are formed of parallel bars 4 which are spaced a su'itable distance apart and are secure'd, at their inner ends, to the upper portion of thefdooil frame and at their opposite.or outer ends are conneptedgitoa right angularly projecting bracet which may be, if desired, formed ot'a continuation of the ,bars it. The inner end of the brace is bolted or otherwise secured to the upper portion of the door frame, as shown."

Between the guide frames 3 and above the two inner doors is arranged a semi-circular guide trame (i which is coi'istructed in the same manner as the outer trames il except that the trame 6 has both'oic its ends secured directlyv to the upper portion of the door framefas shown. The trames and t1 are braced and supported by supporting rods t.

the outer ends ot which arc suitably connected to the guide frames while their inner ends are Secured to th.n upper portion of the The rods T arc provided with turn-buckles 3 by means ot which the guide frames are adjusted and held in a perfectly horizontal position.

Between the bars 4 ot' 'the trames and (3.

yfadjacent`to the inni-r ends' o't thtx latter. are

pivotally mounted catches fl. 'l`hc catches 9 are provided near their inner pivoted ends with slots l() which are engaged hv transversely disposed pins ily which extend through the'bars -t of the frame and serve to limit the pivotal movement ot' the catches Sl and to support the same-in operative position to secure the door in a closed position. li'hcn the door is closednthe upper edge ot' catches l will be of 90 of the door, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, closed position.

upper edges thereof and thus hold the doors i' doors being swung beyond the catches a AbeinJ1 here shown in the form of a lug 16 portion of the vswung lto `ani-dopen positiom the door will spring beneath and engage the lower edge of the catch 9 thus raising the catch between the bars 4 thus permitting the door to swing to a closed position, at which time the door `will have cleared. the catch, thus permitting the same to drop down behind or into engaeement'with the outer side thus holding the door in Pivotally mounted between the bars t in the outer portions of the frames 3 and 6 are 12 in which are formed slots 13 adapted to be engaged by pins 14 and limit the downward movement of the catches and to hold the same in operative position to be engaged by the doors. ln the lower edge of the catches 12, adjacent to their outer ends, are formed door engaging notches 15 which, when the doors 'are swung to an open position, will drop into engagement withi'the open.

n order to prevent any possibility of the door stop lor strilre is provided, said stop whic I projects downwardly from the outer guide frame 3, as shown.

ln the form of the device shown in Figs. lland .5, the outer latch 17 or the catch for holding the door in an open position is of double construction or provided in its oppositev edges ,with door engaging notches 1 8 and said catch/is pivoted between the bars oi' the semi-circ yar supporting frame 6 and is adapted/to swing upwardly between the bars of the frame in either direction, The catch 17Y is preferably formed. on the curvature of the bars of .the frame to permit the catch to swing freely; betweenf said bars when engaged by either of Vthe'vinncr doors 1 when Y By arranging the catch 17 as Shown, eitherof the doors when swung `finto engagement therewith, permitted to openbeyond an angle before being caught by the notches 18 of the catch. It has been frequently found advantageous to open the doors to a greater angle than and in order to permit this additional movement, the catch 17 is provided and arran ed in the supporting frame in the manner escribed. In this form otl the device, the catches 10 for holding the doors in closed osition are arranged and constructed in t e same manner as the catches 9 shown in Fig. 3 o the drawings and the supporting frame 6 of this form of the device is the same as shown in the first igures of the drawings.

In order to disengage the catches from the doors to permit the same to be swung to an open or closed position, I provide a suitable catch releasingmechanism com l rising a rod 19 which is slidably mounte in suitablel asap/3a bearings Q0 arranged 0n the outer side of,

the doors. The rod 19 is'provided on its upper end with a catch engaging head 2l which, when the releasing catch rod 19'is forced upwardly, will engage the lowero door, as shown. By means of an arrangement of catches such as herein shown and described, large 'swinging doors may be securelyheld in open or losed position and the holding devices will beautomatically operated by the movement of the doors to engage and hold the same in open or closed positions and by means of the releasing-devices described, said holdin devices 'are readily disengaged from the dhors to permiethe same to be moved.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection withv the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation ot' the invention will be readily understood without requiring ai more extended explanation.

Various changes inthe form, proportion and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted tov without departing from the principle or sacriiicing any of the advantages of the invention, as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus described 'my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination w-ith adoor, of a catch supporting frame arranged above the door, catches arranged in said frame to hold the door a closed or open position, said catches being automatically operated by the movement of the door to engage and secure the same in open or closed position.

2. The combination with a door, of a suportin` frame arranged above the door p D 1D 5 catches pivotally mounted in said frame to hold the door in closed or open position, said catches being automatically operated by the movement of the door, and catch releasing devices carried by the door whereby the Y catches are released or disengaged from the door to permit the same 'to be opened or closed.

3. In an automatic door catch, a supporting frame, catches pivotally mounted in said frame to hold the door in closed or open po.

sition, said catches having formed therein limiting slots, stop pins arranged in said frames to engage said slots and thereby hold said catches in operative position to be engaged and automatically operated by the movement of the door, means to limit the opening movement oil the door7 a catch releasing mechanism carried lo said doory said mechanism comprising a re easing'rod slidaoly mounted on the door, a catch engaging head on the upper vend of said rod7 and a pi'voi'ally mounted operating lever connected. to the lower end of the rod and projecting through tlie door.

ln an automatic door catche a catch sup1 orting frame7 said frame comprising parallel bars spaced apart and suitably Secured to the door frame, a brace rod connected to the outer end. of the frame, a catch pivotally mount-ed bet-Ween said bars adjacent to the innerl end oi' the frame to hold the door in closed position, a catch pivotaiiy mounted between said bars at the outer portion of the frameLto hold the door.. in an open position, said catch having 'formed therein a door engaging notch, means to limit the movement or" said catches and to hold the same in position to be. engaged and automatically operated icy the movement of the door, and catch.v releasing mechanism carried by the door and ada ted to be operated to disengage the catches 'from the above the doors, catches pivotally mounted.

in said .traine adjacent to its inner portion and. adapted to automatically engage the doors to hold the same in closed'position, a .catch pivotaliy mounted in tlioouter por tion of the fra-'me end adapted to swing in either direction, saidhoatch haring .formed in its opposite sidefedges door engaging notches adapted to engage either of said doors when swung to an open position to hold the door open at an angle greater-then 900, and means carried by the doors .to release or disengage said catches to permit 'the doors to be opened or closed.

In 'testimony whereof have hereunto set my hand in `iifesenceof two subscribing Witmesses. l

HUBERT E, HASKNS.. Witnesses:

DUNCAN K. Connection, Meern: S. Femme. 

